Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Pasay

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasay: $898 a month against $945 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. The total is higher in Manila despite lower rent and utilities.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Pasay
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Pasay Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Pasay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$898

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Pasay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Manila and in Pasay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $945 per month in Manila vs $898 in Pasay, rent included.

Manila $945
Pasay $898

A couple spends around $1,572 per month in Manila vs $1,224 in Pasay, rent included.

Manila $1,572
Pasay $1,224

A family of three spends $2,199 per month in Manila vs $1,551 in Pasay, rent included.

Manila $2,199
Pasay $1,551

Manila costs about 5% more than Pasay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manila and Pasay are more affordable than the global median – Manila 31% lower, Pasay 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$4.39 ₱280

21.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,686

$18.79 ₱1,197

40.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$2.79 ₱178

40.86%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.12 ₱135

19.34%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₱86.0

$0.59 ₱37.36

128.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.1

$0.33 ₱21.24

148.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$1.15 ₱73.5

-0.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$1.54 ₱98.0

54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.63 ₱104

17.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱91.8

$1.16 ₱74.1

24.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.1

$1.02 ₱65.1

-7.84%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$1.83 ₱117

25.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱472

$4.97 ₱316

49.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱294

$4.23 ₱270

8.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱424

$6.83 ₱435

-2.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$2.19 ₱140

50.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.56 ₱99.5

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

$2.34 ₱149

28.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.11 ₱70.6

58.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱141

$2.33 ₱148

-4.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱169

$3.27 ₱208

-18.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱136

$1.23 ₱78.2

73.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.03

$0.85 ₱54.2

-37.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱195

$2.96 ₱188

3.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱610

$7.56 ₱482

26.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.1

$0.88 ₱56.1

47.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.73 ₱110

15.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.76

$0.20 ₱12.46

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱812

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.85

$0.80 ₱51.2

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.68

$0.21 ₱13.37

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.89 ₱120

-2.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.23 ₱78.4

3.25%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

0.50%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

-2.98%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$120 ₱7,620

$139 ₱8,867

-14.06%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.69 ₱1,000

$14.40 ₱918

8.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,504

$24.03 ₱1,531

-1.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,713

$47.26 ₱3,011

-9.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱360

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱414

$4.99 ₱318

30.26%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$599 ₱38.2K

$70.6 ₱4,499

748.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱561.9K

$2,430 ₱154.9K

262.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,611

$34.90 ₱2,224

62.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,746

$19.11 ₱1,218

43.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,865

$70.2 ₱4,475

8.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,537

$62.5 ₱3,985

-11.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.5K

$427 ₱27.2K

23.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱18.9K

$312 ₱19.9K

-4.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.2K

$828 ₱52.7K

127.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.0K

$366 ₱23.3K

123.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱252.9K

$1,864 ₱118.8K

112.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱150.8K

$567 ₱36.1K

317.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.7K

$512 ₱32.6K

-8.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.14%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Pasay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Pasay

$312 34.8% 5.2% $15

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Pasay

$183 20.4% 15.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Pasay

$178 19.8% 11.8% $19

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Pasay

$81 9.1% 21.7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Pasay

$84 9.4% 13.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Pasay

$57 6.4% 3% $1.7

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Pasay

$2.6 * 0.3% 83.8% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Manila versus $427 in Pasay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Pasay, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Manila versus $19 in Pasay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $183 – making Pasay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Pasay

🕒 Local time

11:02 11:02 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

416,522

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Manila Pasay 5 km

From you

Manila
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Manila vs Pasay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $945 in Manila, $898 in Pasay – Pasay comes out roughly 5% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,418 per month in Manila and $1,347 in Pasay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pasay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $427 there versus $526 in Manila.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $945 in Manila and $898 in Pasay. That makes Pasay about 5% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $599 per month in Manila and $71 in Pasay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $945 in Manila and $898 in Pasay, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Pasay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.